Ampere Time Battery Review
Table of Contents
Choosing a battery is vital to getting the best performance and power delivery for any application. Whether for camping, marine use, UPS systems, battery banks, or any other application, you should always consider lithium batteries.
Lithium batteries have many advantages that make them stand out compared to other technologies. These batteries deliver high currents on demand, have a large capacity, are manufactured to withstand high depths of discharge (DOD), and more. If you are looking for batteries with great performance, you should consider Ampere Time batteries.
Ampere Time designs outstanding batteries with lithium technology. Some of the best medium-high and high capacity models are the 100Ah Ampere Time battery & the 200Ah Ampere Time Battery. Today, we do an in-depth analysis on both batteries and compare them against another leading battery brand in the market.
Figure 1: 100Ah & 200Ah Ampere Time Batteries – Ampere Time
Who is Ampere Time?
Ampere Time is a quality battery brand founded more than 12 years ago, created as a subsidiary of Shenzhen Ampere Time Technology Co., Ltd. This brand emerged to supply a basic need for customers looking for quality performance LiFePO4 batteries for a good price.
Since its founding, Ampere Time has been engineering some great quality batteries and related products, ensuring their customers have all their energy needs covered. Batteries manufactured by Ampere Time are backed by several professional conformity certificates, ensuring great performance and a 5-year warranty for their products.
To date, Ampere Time manufactures 12V, 24V, and 48V batteries. To suit the needs of every customer, the brand offers a wide variety of capacities, ranging from 6Ah to 300Ah. Alongside the batteries, you will also find battery chargers designed with the right parameters to charge batteries at 10A or 20A, ensuring a longer lifespan for Ampere Time batteries.
Ampere Time 100Ah & 200Ah Battery Features and Specs
The 100Ah & 200Ah Ampere Time batteries are among the most popular options for this brand. Both batteries use the same technology, so they share several benefits, features, and specifications. Both Ampere Time batteries are durable, long-lasting, and deliver a quality performance.
Next, we will dive into the specifications and features for each battery, detailing what aspects they share and how they differ.
Capacity & stored energy
One main difference between the 100Ah & 200Ah batteries is their capacity and the amount of energy they can store.
100Ah Ampere Time Battery
The 100Ah Ampere Time battery has a medium-high designed capacity of 100Ah delivered at an operating voltage of 12.8 V. It can store and deliver a total power capacity of 1,280 Wh. With this, you can easily power any electronics, several appliances, and the battery for all types of applications like camping, battery banks, and more.
200Ah Ampere Time Battery
This battery has a high capacity of 200Ah operating at 12.8V, meaning that it can store and deliver up to 2,560 Wh. This high-capacity battery is better suited for large UPS systems, solar battery banks, and many other applications requiring a high-capacity battery.
Size & Weight
Lithium batteries with different capacities require varying amounts of LifePO4 battery cells depending on the capacity, which is the case for the 100Ah and 200Ah Ampere Time batteries, which differ in size & weight.
100Ah Ampere Time Battery
The 100Ah Ampere Time Battery has a compact size of 13 x 6.82 x 8.48 in. and a relatively lightweight of 25.35 lbs., which is lighter than batteries with similar capacity. Comparing the size and weight as they relate to capacity, the 100Ah Ampere Time battery is ideal for stationary applications and others that might require manually transporting the battery.
200Ah Ampere Time Battery
The 200Ah Ampere Time battery has a size of 20.5 x 9.37 x 8.54 in. and a weight of 46.07 lbs. While it has twice the capacity of 100Ah Ampere Time Battery, it is only 82% heavier, but it has more than twice the size. Since this battery is heavier and bulkier, we recommend it for stationary applications or in-home solar power systems, personal vehicles, wheelchairs, or marine applications.
Figure 2: 100Ah Ampere Time Battery – Ampere Time
Casing & IP rating
While both batteries have a different weight and size, they share a similar high-quality casing that is durable, robust, and includes handles for transportation. The casing is ABS material, which is resistant to shocks and vibrations. Both batteries have 16mm-M8 terminals installed and are versatile for many applications.
With a casing manufactured with the highest standards, both batteries have a high Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP65. They are completely sealed against dust particles, protected against small splashing or dripping of water, and withstand water jets with a nozzle of 6.3 mm or less.
Charge/discharge current
Both batteries can deliver high peak currents of 280A for five seconds and continuously discharge at a maximum current of 100A, meaning the 100Ah Ampere Time battery is ideal for a 1C C-rate and the 200Ah battery for a 0.5C C-rate.
You can charge both batteries at a 0.2C C-rate, meaning that you can charge the 100Ah battery at 20A while the 200Ah Ampere Time Battery at 40A.
Depth of Discharge (DOD)
Ampere Time has engineered quality LiFePO4 batteries that can be discharged at a 100% DOD, allowing you to use the full capacity of the batteries.
Even though they can withstand a 100% DOD, at 10% capacity, they read a voltage of 12.8V, and at 1%, they read 10.8V, which is why we recommend using a maximum 90% DOD, and avoiding discharging them beyond 99% DOD since it can damage the battery.
Expected life cycles
The 100Ah and 200Ah Ampere Time batteries are designed to deliver 4,000 – 8,000 cycles, depending on the DOD used. The average lifespan for both batteries is 10 years.
Working temperature
Both batteries can also work at the same temperatures. Ampere Time batteries can discharge from -4º F to 140º F and should only be charged at a temperature range of 32º F – 122º F. For storing the batteries, you should ensure a temperature range of 14º F – 122º F.
Supported parallel/series connections
Ampere Time batteries allow for up to 4 batteries to be connected in series or up to 4 batteries to connect in parallel. If you want to perform a parallel/series connection, you can plug 2 sets of 4 batteries in series, connected in parallel with each other.
Ampere Time vs. SOK Battery: Which Should I choose?
Figure 3: 300Ah Ampere Time Battery – Ampere Time
Ampere Time and SOK Battery are excellent battery manufacturers with 100Ah & 200Ah models. In this section, we will do an impartial comparison between both technologies, detailing the key differences between the models by each brand.
Capacity
Both 100Ah batteries share the same capacity, but this differs for the 200Ah batteries by each brand. The Ampere Time battery has a designed capacity of 200Ah while the SOK battery has a 206 Ah capacity, delivering 6 Ah more than the Ampere Time model.
Charging/discharging current
Both the 100Ah and 200Ah SOK batteries can be discharged at 100A and charged at 50A, meaning that the 100Ah SOK battery charges at 30 amps faster than the 100Ah Ampere Time battery model while the 200Ah SOK battery charges at 10 amps faster. As for the discharge current, it is the same for all four batteries.
Protection systems installed
Ampere Time and SOK Battery models have built-in Battery Management Systems (BMS), but this works differently for both brands. The Ampere Time BMS has a high-temperature charging cut-off system, while SOK BMS has both a high & low-temperature charging cut-off system, ensuring a longer lifespan for batteries in hot and cold climates.
Price
Both 100Ah batteries have a very similar price. The 100Ah Ampere Time model costs $499.99, while the SOK battery costs $569.00. The price is more contrasting for the high-capacity models with the 200Ah Ampere Time battery costs $799.99 while the 206Ah SOK battery costs $1,029.00.
Life Cycles & Warranty
Another important aspect to consider is the life cycles & warranty. Even though Ampere Time and SOK batteries can deliver 4,000 – 8,000 cycles, Ampere Time batteries have a 5-years warranty, while SOK Battery ensures 2 more years of liability for a 7-year warranty.
Ampere Time vs SOK Battery conclusion: Which brand is better for you?
When comparing the performance and specifications concerning the price, SOK batteries are superior. These batteries handle higher currents, have a better BMS, and have a longer warranty, making them safer to use for all applications and temperatures.
The aspect standing out from Ampere Time batteries is the price. The 100Ah Ampere Time battery is $70.01 cheaper, while the 200Ah battery costs $229.01 less than the SOK model. While price is important, you consider overall specifications, warranty, BMS system, and many more aspects to ensure you get a battery that lasts longer while delivering better performance.
Conclusion
Both 100Ah & 200Ah Ampere Time batteries are excellent for solar battery banks, boats, RVs, security systems, and many other applications. These batteries handle high discharging/charging currents, are robust, have a quality casing, and have a great overall performance.
Using Ampere Time batteries will ensure you get the best power output for many applications, even at a battery bank using eight batteries to get two times the voltage and four times the capacity of the batteries. Ampere Time Batteries also have a long lifespan, quite a good warranty, and an excellent price.
The price for Ampere Time batteries highly contrasts when compared to brands like SOK Battery. When looking for slightly higher currents, a longer warranty, or a better BMS system, you might want to consider SOK batteries, but if you are looking for the best price, Ampere Time batteries are for you.
